Howells hopes Exeter game wasn’t his last for Luton

Mike Simmonds

Hatters midfielder Jake Howells is desperate that Saturday’s 4-1 win over Exeter City won’t be the last time he pulls on a Luton Town shirt.

The 25-year-old who is now out of contract at Kenilworth Road was given a standing ovation from supporters after leaving the field late on at the weekend.

“I’ve done as much as I can on the field, hopefully I’ve done enough to earn a contract.”

Jake Howells

Howells, who was making his 334th appearance for the club, now faces a nervous wait to see if his services are required by manager Nathan Jones, as he said: “It was lovely to hear the fans appreciate what I’ve done for the club and hopefully it’s not goodbye.

“I want to be here, I love the way the gaffer plays and what he’s doing and I can see the club going forward on and off the pitch, with the stadium hopefully going through and everything going in the right direction.

“If Luton want me, I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, but for my purpose, I’ve got to work hard day in day out, prove to him that I want to be here and they want to give me a contact.

“That’s football, every player has to deal with it and hopefully I’ve done enough as I really want to be here.”

When asked if there had been talks over his future, Howells said: “That’s in house that sort of stuff.

“I get on well with Nathan and respect him massively for what he’s done since he’s come in.

“I think he can take the club forward massively and nice to have a young manager come in and freshen everything up.

“The way the game’s going, everything’s young and that way of football we play now is the way the game is going and I hopefully can fit into that.”

Howells took part in the lap of acknowledgement around the ground after the game at the weekend, and hopes it wasn’t his final farewell to a club he has now served for a decade.

He added: “It’s strange because it could have been my last game, but what else can I do?

“I’ve done as much as I can on the field, hopefully I’ve done enough to earn a contract.”